(CNN) – A monthly jobs report showing sluggish hiring in March gave Republicans an opening Friday to chastise President Barack Obama's economic policies.

"The president's policies continue to make it harder for Americans to find work," House Speaker John Boehner wrote in a statement released a half hour after the Labor Department report was released. "Hundreds of thousands fled the workforce last month and unemployment remains far above what the Obama administration promised when it enacted its 'stimulus' spending plan."Friday's report showed 88,000 jobs were added in March, far lower than the 190,000 jobs that economists expected. The unemployment rate fell to 7.6%, though the drop was pegged to 500,000 Americans leaving the workforce.

During last year's election, Obama's record on jobs creation formed the core of rival Mitt Romney's attacks, even as hiring began picking up and the unemployment rate dropped. Republicans have continued attacking Obama's jobs record after the election as the White House and Congressional Republicans grapple over a deficit reduction plan.

Next week Obama will unveil his annual budget, which is expected to make changes to Medicare and Social Security in an effort to reach a deficit deal with Republicans.

In his statement Friday, Boehner said that "one of the best things President Obama can do is follow the House and outline a balanced budget next week – one that includes entitlement reforms that are not conditional on enactment of more tax increases, which will suppress growth instead of encourage it."

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus cast the March jobs report as a consequence of Obama's focus on upcoming midterm elections.

"What exactly was the president doing in the last month to create jobs as the economy sputtered along?" Priebus asked. "Why did he flit off to San Francisco this week to fundraise on Billionaire's Row instead of sending a budget to Congress? Why is adding money to Nancy Pelosi's campaign coffers more important than adding jobs to the economy?"

Obama's fundraising swing through California began Wednesday evening and continued Thursday with events for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic National Committee.

Priebus also placed blame on Congressional Democrats, whose policies he said were hurting American hiring.

"Why don't liberals admit their big government programs are straining Americans' budgets? Why are they sticking young people with higher insurance costs through Obamacare? Why won't they work with Republicans to strengthen Medicare and Medicaid?" he said.

"Are the president and his fellow Democrats out-of-touch–or just not serious about doing their jobs?" he concluded.

Rep. Eric Cantor, the number two House Republican, wrote it was time for Obama and Democrats in Congress to "stop making excuses and start working together on common sense solutions to address our lingering unemployment problem, and the stagnant economy."

Public polling shows Americans split on who to trust with the economy, Obama or Congressional Republicans. An ABC News/Washington Post poll conducted March 7-10 showed 44% trusted Obama more on the economy and 40% trusted members of the GOP in Congress.

Alan Krueger, the chairman of Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, wrote in a statement that "more work remains to be done" to spur hiring.

Today’s employment report provides further evidence that the U.S. economy is continuing to recover from the worst downturn since the Great Depression," Krueger wrote. Similar statements are released after every monthly jobs report. "It is critical that we continue the policies that are helping to build an economy that creates jobs and works for the middle class as we dig our way out of the deep hole that was caused by the severe recession that began in December 2007."

soundoff(264 Responses)

Funny, I thought it was the corporations sending millions of jobs to the slave labor factories in China, Southeast Asia and India that made it hard to find a job. Silly me.

April 5, 2013 01:06 pm at 1:06 pm |

Organic1

Last time I checked the House GOP was averaging cutting a job bill every other day, so that none of them got through. They think this is good for the country? Who do they think suffers from those types of actions, or I forgot they simply do not care.

April 5, 2013 01:06 pm at 1:06 pm |

rs

California Conservative

rs

California Conservative

Well that explains why the nearly super majority demcorats for two years did nothing about jobs.
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Actually, CC at least one vote shy of the super-majority, which is why the Senate GOP has set a record of more than 400 filibusters in 5 years- that's inaction you can take to the bank!

Geez, these guys suck at everything. If you make less than 250K and you support their continued nonsense, you need a mental health check.

2014 – get your ID ready and get these clowns pushed aside. No more excuses.

April 5, 2013 01:09 pm at 1:09 pm |

1twinsfan

I've got a finger to point at the GOP.

April 5, 2013 01:09 pm at 1:09 pm |

rs

manhandler1

And I suppose they want us to believe that they have nothing to do with it. Wasn't it in 2010 when they won control of the House that they said their focus was jobs, jobs, jobs? Turned out their real focus was on obstruction, obstruction. obstruction.
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Actually, they accomplished something: passing the most regressive laws on birth control and abortion, easily setting Women's Rights back 75 years. Don't forget their anti-Voter's Rights activities too!

April 5, 2013 01:11 pm at 1:11 pm |

Tom

People capable of independent thought will notice rather quickly that the only real major policy change lately was the austerity measures that republicans fought so hard for.

April 5, 2013 01:11 pm at 1:11 pm |

aj

Not a fan of either party, but the GOP can't point fingers when they've filibustered most legislation on improving jobs.

April 5, 2013 01:12 pm at 1:12 pm |

Oracle

I blame Bush.

April 5, 2013 01:13 pm at 1:13 pm |

California Conservative

Malory Archer

California Conservative

This sequester was in fact Obama's idea.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

And the one and only time in his entire 5 years in office that the rethugs agreed with him on ANYTHING. They just never though it would come to fuition because they believed the lies that the also-ran was going to win. No surprise they were wrong again.
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As everyone already knows Obama can never be wrong.

The republicans went into slow walking, blocking, filibusters, and other " maneuvers because the 2010 electons were coming, then 2012 elections, and now 2014 elections. Bottom line is they have seriously hurt this country simply to get even for this country electing Obama. The jobs are down because of sequester, lowest number of govt jobs in decades, and republicans scaring businesses into not hiring. Shameful politics.

April 5, 2013 01:20 pm at 1:20 pm |

g

north american unemployment -MADE IN CHINA

April 5, 2013 01:23 pm at 1:23 pm |

Anthony

Republicans, government jobs count too. Ask George W. Bush.

April 5, 2013 01:24 pm at 1:24 pm |

Paul

On a similar topic, what has Boehner done since being elected speaker? I"nothing" comes to mind. He sits back and plays "Monday morning quarterback" but offers no. Solutions. May be the least productive speaker ever.

April 5, 2013 01:26 pm at 1:26 pm |

Boo

I am sick to death of these Republicans....then these morons wonder why their approval rating is in the single digits.

April 5, 2013 01:28 pm at 1:28 pm |

lottie

did repos ever consider part of the jobs report is a reflection of the of the sequester? All repos seem to do anymore is look for something to pounce on. Stop taking vacations and try helping the American people .Why not create a few jobs????? when the numbers are good they give no praise at all only when things are negative do the jump in.

April 5, 2013 01:31 pm at 1:31 pm |

BinFL

Face it – the Repubs couldn't take the President down in his first term so they are more determined than ever to make him fail and have a losing legacy and to regain the Senate in 2014 and Presidency in 2016. This President can't win for losing no matter what he does. Our so-called democracy is a joke!

April 5, 2013 01:31 pm at 1:31 pm |

Ray E. (Georgia)

Um,Well,
The Republician's – Conservatives are not Obstructing anything except giving the Liberal's a blank check over the Economy. Bigger and bigger Government isn't the answer. If it was, we would all be rollong in the dough after 75 plus years of liberal politics. In just the ;ast 4 years is anything better ? In the last 75 years is anything better ?? Sooner or later some are going figure out that beggers can't be choosers. The Liberal's want to soak the rich. You hear it all the time. Obama says, We need to raise Taxes on the Rich. Those that do the hiring just slow down to stay in business. Ther is a Fable. Mayb you've heard it. It is about killing the golden goose. Wise up.

April 5, 2013 01:31 pm at 1:31 pm |

Ferret out the BS

The results of the sequester are taking affect. The repubs wanted an austerity program and made it impossible for the president to do business with the House. Well this is what they wanted and it will be painful when the full effects are felt. I will probably lose my job next month due to the cuts and I don't blame the president. I point my finger directly at the republican party that seems to have permanent tunnel vision that can see only one thing, cut, cut, cut. Why don't they do anything about the cost of goods and unreasonable and unwarranted price increases due to corporate greed. 2014 is right around the corner, just remember that.

April 5, 2013 01:34 pm at 1:34 pm |

Rossi

The GOP continues to sell the working and middle class that liberals and democrats are not interested in a job or working to build their own future. For every liberal democrat you can find where that is true, I can find a conservative republican guilty of same.

The vast majority of Americans whichever side of the fence you sit wants a job. They want to work and support themselves and their families. They want opportunity, just a chance to try.

April 5, 2013 01:34 pm at 1:34 pm |

KBNJ

Why WOULDN'T the GOP be pointing fingers? 4-1/2 years and it's still Bush? Or is it Congress, which was entirely controlled by Dems until 2-1/2 years ago and is now 1/2 controlled by Dems? No budget and no direction in 4-1/2 years: we're lucky it's not worse than this.

April 5, 2013 01:35 pm at 1:35 pm |

BinFL

@California Conservative who said "jobs" "jobs" "jobs" was an Obama thing – Do you realize how stupid of a comment that was? First of all, it was the Repubs that ran on "jobs", "jobs", "jobs" in 2010 and people were foolish enough to believe them. Also, the President has had a jobs bill out there for years that the Repubs won't vote on. If they would have passed the bill that would create infrastructure jobs and didn't mess around with debt ceiling which resulted in the sequester we would have many jobs. This, like all the economic destruction we've seen since 2001, lies at the feet of the Republicans!